Can opener



G. R. LEGGETT CAN OPENER May 11 1926. 1,583,934

Filed Nov. 25, 1922 Patented May 1 1, 1926.

urrno snares ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE R. LEGGETT, F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO SCOVILL MANU- FACTURING COMPANY, OF 'WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT, .A. CORPORATION CON- NECTIGUT.

CAN OPENER.

Application filed November 23, 1922. Serial No. 602,680.

This invention relates to certain improvements in can openers of the type in which the bead of a can is inserted between a rotary cutting knife and a co-operating abutment and the top of the can out off by the knife.

It is an especial object of the present invention to improve the structural features of this type of can opener whereby a simple and efficient opener will be produced and one having a small number of parts, and the parts of which are so formed that they may be easily and cheaply made, so that an inexpensive opener may be produced and one that will be durable and effective in operation. 7,

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved arrangement and action of the parts, whereby a rotative movement between the knife and abutment toward and'from each other is provided for permitting the insertion of a can bead and the subsequent cutting operation.

lVith these and other objects not specifically referred to, the invention consists in certain novel arrangements, parts and combinations, which will be fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features then pointed out inthe claims hereuntoannexed.

Referring now to these drawings Figure 1 is a top view, partly broken awa of the improved can opener, the parts being shown in cutting position. Figure 2 is a sectional view, partly broken away of the construction shown in Fig. 1, the parts being shown in position for opening the can. e

Figure 3 is a detail partly sectional view, thesection being taken on line 3-3 of Fig.- 2. Figure 4 is a top view of certain parts'of the construction shown in Fig. 1, the parts being illustrated as separated to permit the positioning of a can bead. V

Figure 5 is a'detail plan view, partly sectional, the view being taken on line 5 5' Fis i te seet en hv sw 011 n an see of-Fig 1 enlargeds -1e, -the.- -s ection-being taken on Referring now to thesedrawings, the improved opener -includes a frame 1, from,

which the operating parts of the opener are supported. This frame 1 is arranged so U-shaped, having upper and lower legs 3', 4-

arranged to extend over the edge of the table and aboveand below-tho same. Passing through an aperture in the lower leg 4' is a clampingscrew, indicated at 5, by which the frame may be clamped to the table.

Mounted on the frame 1, as by rivets 6, is a support 7 in the form of a flat plate which may be stamped from sheet metal, this plate supporting the movable parts of the can opener, and projecting outwardly beyond the frame. If desired the rivets 6,

by which the plate and the frame are socured together, may. project through the frame and be formed with rounded points 8, which provide a-grip for rigidly securing the frame to the table, and preventing a slip between theparts.

Can 'openers embodying the invention willv employ a rotary cutting knife and acooperating abutment, these'parts being arranged so that they can be separated from each other for the insertion therebetween of the head of a can and the parts then brought into operative relation, this movement of the parts being an eccentric movement .so that the cutting knifeis first forced through the wall of the can, the removal of the can top then being effected byfthe rotation of the knife. In. the particular construction shown, the knife is arranged on theinside and the co-operating abutment on the outside with respect to the-frame 1. The knife is in the form of a disc 9 having a circular cutting edge 10. This disc is secured onthe reduced end 11 of a spindle 12 mounted to rotate in a hub 13jmounted in the plate '2, before :referred, to, ,thiSknife being se= cu d t0 he,1 p ndle.:by; ;nu lit-1a washer 15 being interposed between-the nut and the knife, if desired. The knife is spaced from the hub slightly, as shown'in Fig. 6, so as to rotate freely beneath the same The spindle 12, above the hub, has a reduced .end 16, this end being preferably formed with flat sides, as indicated at 17, in Fig. 4, and fast on this spindleis a gear 18 and an operating handle 19, provided with a knob 20.

. ,By turning this handle,therefore, the knife and gear are given a rotary movement. C0-- operating with this knife is a rotary abutment, this rotary abutment bearing against the inner side of the bead ofthe can. This abutment in theparticular construction illustrated, is in the form of a disc 21 provided with a milled edge 22, so that a good oppositely disposed projections 29 forming stops which may abut against the upper end of the hub 13, as shown in Fig. 6, and thus act to hold the parts in open or closed posiiii [011. i s i In the operation of the device, and assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 4, the hub 25 has been rotated by the handle 28, to cause the eccentric spindle to separate the milled disc 21 from the cutting knife 9 and the gears 18 and 27 are out of mesh. The bead 31 of the can 30 is then inserted between the milled disc and the cutting knife. The handle 28 is then rotated to the position shown in Fig: 1 and the eccentric movement of the spindle 24 forces the milled disc and the knife toward each other and the s continuation of this movement causes the knife to cut through the side of the can, as shown inFig. 2, which shows the parts in the position they assume when the ,knife has cut through the iile'tal of the side of the can. The completed movement of the handle 28 engages the gears 27 and 18whereupon by the rotation of the handle 19 the top of the can is cut off, the bead of the can being jammed between the hub 13 and the milled disc 21,

. by the rotation of the disc the can is turned and the top is or may be completely severed from the can body, it being understood that the tiifiis held in the handduring the opening operation, in the particular construction illustrated.

It will be observed that with the construction'described a very simple and eflicient opener has been .pnovided and one "which" can be very cheaply made'aad an efiicient and durable structure provided.

might be mounted so as to be movable relatively to the abutment plate.

It will be further understood, that while the inventionv has been shown in its preferred form, that certain changes and'variations ma be made in the particular construction i1 ustrated and described, without departing from the invention as defined in the claims hereunto annexed.

What I claim is:'

1. In a can-opener of-theclass described, the combination of a frame and means for secunin it to a support, said frame including a at plate, a pair of hubs mounted to extend through the frame, a pair of spindles mounted in the hubs, one of said spindles being eccentrically mounted, a rotary cutter carried on one of said spindles, a flat arm extending to form a handle aflixed to the cutter spindle forrotating it, a" cooperating abutment on the other spindle, a pair of gears on the spindles, a flat arm extended to form a handle for manipulating the eccentric spindle and stops on'said handle cooperating with a portion of said can opener to .limit the movement of said arm.

2., In a can opener of the class described, the combination of a frame and means for securing it to asupport, saidframe including a flat plate, a pair of hubs mounted to extend through the frame, a pair ofspindles mounted in the hubs, one of saidspindles being eccentrically mounted, a rotary cutter carried on one of said spindles,a extending to form ahandle a'fiixe'dto the cutter spindle for rotating it, a cooperating at army abutment on the other spindle, a pair of and stops for limiting the movement of the ,lever.

4. In a can opener of the class described, I

the combination of a frame, a supporting plate secured to the frame, a rotary cutting knife and gear unit and a cooperating ro-- tary abutment and gear unit. mounted in the plate, an eccentric mountingfor one of the parts, a handle for operating one of the un ts, means fonmoving the eccentri? cally mounted unit toward and from the the plate, an eccentric mounting for one of other 'unit, and limit stops for limiting the the units, a handle for operating one of the 10 movement of the moving means. units, and a second handle for moving 5, In a can opener of the class described, the eccentrically mounted unit toward and 5 the combination of a frame, a supporting from the other unit.

plate secured to the frame, a rotary cutting In testimony whereof, I have hereunto knife and gear unit and a cooperating roset my hand. e I tary abutment and gear unit mounted in GEORGE R. LEGGETT. 

